Beethoven and Bach Helped Me Get an A! by Kaylah

Beethoven and Bach Helped Me Get an A! by Kaylah - January 2014 Scholarship Essay

Often times, students feel that studying with peers or with a teacher is the best way to study, making it their primary and only way of studying. While I agree that it may be helpful to study with a classmate, in which the subject is fresh on their minds, or a teacher, in which may be an expert on the subject, I do not make either of these options my primary source. In fact, I rely upon myself as being the primary source, because no one knows my weaknesses and strengths better than me.

My method of studying is only one that I have recently discovered, as before I rarely studied due to the fact that it never worked for me. I tried going to teachers for help, but sometimes I left out of teacher tutoring sessions with the same lack of understanding that I came in with; I just did not understand their explanations. I also tried group study sessions and one-on-one study sessions with peers, but I was too comfortable; instead of talking about the subject we were studying, we gossiped and got completely off topic, not getting anything accomplished.

I then decided that something had to be done. I couldn't go throughout my schooling not knowing how to study effectively, and just reading a textbook wouldn't cut it. I found studies that show the effects of listening to classical music: In infants and babies unborn, their math skills were outstanding, and listening to classical music, versus rock, pop, or hip hop, while driving conveyed a safer driving environment. So I decided to put these studies to the test when studying and doing my homework. I found that when listening to my favorite songs, it was almost as distracting as studying with my friends, as I would want to sing along to the lyrics; it took me longer to accomplish my homework and studying goals, but when I listened to classical music while studying I finished my homework in an efficient amount of time and studied effectively, as school assignments and tests become easier for me to accomplish.

My primary way of studying is to study on my own, with my classical music to help me focus and to tune out the rest of the world. Then after studying on my own and figuring out what weak points I have left, I go to a peer or teacher for assistance, sometimes both. I believe that no one study method is perfect for everyone; this is why I do not rely on just one method of studying.